


Bowls of Chili

by Darlingkaz



Category: vlog squad
Genre: Cooking, Distant Friends, Kristen is a good friend, chili - Freeform, mentions of eating disorders, vlog squad - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 04:18:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18380816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darlingkaz/pseuds/Darlingkaz
Summary: Kristen notices some interesting comments on Scott's latest video and decides to investigate for herself.





	Bowls of Chili

**Author's Note:**

> TW: mentions of eating disorders
> 
> This is inspired by an incredibly underrated TV show called "Halt and Catch Fire"

In hind sight, maybe showing up at David’s house carrying a weeks’ worth of groceries and nearly her entire collection of kitchen utensils wasn’t the best plan.

“Um hi?” David is standing in his doorway wearing his signature black on black clothing, looking her up and down as if she’s a complete stranger that somehow wondered onto his property.

“Hi.” Kristen says, shifting the pots in her hands. “Can I come in?” David nods his head, stepping to the side and holding open the door so she can squeeze through.

“Do you need help with that?” He gestures to the obscene array of cooking supplies in her hands- all of which she had managed to stack into the biggest pot she owned.

“No I’ve got it.” Kristen makes her way past David and into his kitchen, nearly dropping all of her items before managing to set them on to the kitchen counter. David follows her, propping himself up by his elbows as he leans on the isle.

“So what are you doing here?” It was a fair question, despite being friends her and David didn’t hang out much, especially without Scott or Liza.

“My oven broke.” A complete lie. “I was wondering if I could use yours?”

In truth she had spent the past three hours reading through the comments on her boyfriend’s latest video- ninety percent being about David and his donut eating antics.

After a mildly aggravating conversation with Jason on whether or not the leader of their friend group had an eating disorder she had resolved to pack up nearly half of her kitchen, as well as what she had planned on cooking for dinner and loaded up her car. It was only once she reached David’s doorstep and run the bell that she realized she didn’t quite have a plan, or an explanation about why she was at his house.

“I mean your already here.” David’s voice brings her out of her thoughts and she smiles at him, going about pulling things out of her pot so she can start setting up. “What happened to your oven?”

“I don’t really know.” She replied. “It just wouldn’t turn on.” It was a good thing Jason had headed over to Trisha’s shortly after their conversation, and Scott had been practicing twenty four seven with his band in preparation for their upcoming tour. If David decided to call either of them to inquire about the oven she would have plausible deniability as neither of them had been home, or even used the machine that much.

“What are you making?” David asked as she turned on his own oven, checking the burners to make sure they were working properly.

“Chili.” Kristen noticed the way David perked up when she mentioned it- the food had been one of the only items he had ever given a perfect ten when Kristen had asked the boys to sample one of the things she made. “It’s one of Scott’s favorite foods and I figured I would make him some since he’s been working so hard on the tour.” That at least wasn’t a lie as she had intended on making the dish for her boyfriend later that night.

For a moment they sat in silence. Kristen continued with her cooking and David fiddled with his phone while occasionally glancing up to watch Kristen work.

“So what’s going on with you?” She asked, breaking the silence. David shrugged, setting his phone down on the isle.

“Editing mostly.” Kristen noted the laptop and camera sitting on the living room coffee table. Unlike the rest of their group David tended to edit his videos in one sitting- where she would edit a video for a few hours over a three day period, David preferred to do it all in one day- sometimes staying up for thirteen hours to edit and post one video.

“How’s it going?”

“It’s fine. I wish I had more footage.” Kristen gestured to her pot.

“Um I’m cooking? You can title it “She broke into my house for this?” David laughed, which she took as a good sign. Even though the two didn’t hang out often Kristen knew how stressed the videos made him- how hard he worked to make them perfect.

“Hang on a minute.” He stepped away from the isle and walked over to the coffee table, grabbing his camera and heading back over to her. “Guys Kristen literally showed up at my house a few minutes ago and just started cooking chili in my kitchen.” David pointed his camera at the pot than up to her as if the viewers wouldn’t believe him. “It smells so good in here, Jesus Christ.” Kristen laughed, nearly dropped her spoon as she did so, which caused David to laugh as well.

“Stop! I could have dropped my spoon!” She did her best impersonation of the guy from the vine, and David did his best impersonation of a sitcom laugh track. They filmed for a little bit until David set his camera back down, pulling out a chair from his isle and sitting across from her.

“That should be another thirty seconds, forty five at the most.” Kristen could see the gears turning his head as he planned out his vlog- what else he could add in to bring it to four minutes and twenty seconds.

“If you need anything else let me know, I can also talk like a duck.”

The silence returns, and David wonders over to the couch to finish editing his video. As she continues with her cooking she pondered why she had even gone to David’s in the first place.

It wasn’t like she could just confront him- ask him flat out if he had an eating disorder, like so many comments claimed that he had. But she also couldn’t ignore it either. The more she thought about it the more she seemed to remember little moments- David passing on lunches and dinners with the group, declining pizza or snacks and staying home when they all went out for ice cream after the Views tours.

It was true David had a poor relationship with food, everyone already knew he skipped meals. The whole situation reminded her of Scott and his depression, how something that seemed under control could slip away so fast. Kristen had always been there for Scott, maybe now she needed to be there for David.

When she finally finishes her cooking David is still sitting on the couch, though he continually glances in her direction and the smell wafting out of her pot.

“David!” She calls, and the boy looks at her, standing up when she waves him into the kitchen. He sets his computer down and makes his way back into the kitchen, leaning against the open wall as she pours some of the chili into a bowl.

“What’s up?” He asks, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I was wondering if you could try this for me? Make sure it tastes okay?”

“I would but I already ate.” The growling of his stomach betrays him, and he turns away slightly.

“Please? I just want to make sure it isn’t too hot or too spicy?” David fidgets, breaking away from the wall only to just stand in the entry way. Kristen sees how he plays with the rings on his fingers, twirling them back and forth.

“It’s Scott’s chili not mine.” He tries.

“Scott likes his chili a certain way and since he’s been working really hard I just want it to be perfect.” David isn’t looking at her, he’s looking down at his floor, scuffing his feet against the kitchen tiles. She doesn’t want to push him- doesn’t want to make him do something that he is uncomfortable with.

“Just a few bites okay?” His voice is quiet, for a moment she thinks she doesn’t hear him. Slowly he walks over to her, pulling out the chair from his isle he had sat in earlier. She nods, trying not to look so enthusiastic as she sets the bowl in front of him and grabs a spoon from one of his drawers. He still doesn’t look at her, but he picks up the spoon and stirs it around in the chili before finally bringing it to his lips. David pauses for a moment, than does it again.

“Is it good?” She asks, and David nods his head. “Not too hot or spicy?”

“No. It’s good.” As he continues to eat Kristen turns her back and smiles, busying herself as she covers her pot and washes her dirty spoons and utensils.

It isn’t much, but at least it’s a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Tumblr: dirtymulaney


End file.
